Formed in Canterbury, England, in 1968, Caravan evolved from the Wilde Flowers, a seminal local attraction that had included Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers and Hugh Hopper, all later of the Soft Machine. Pye Hastings (21 January 1947, Tomnavoulin, Bamffshire, Scotland; guitar, vocals), Jimmy Hastings (flute), David Sinclair (b. 24 November 1947, Herne Bay, Kent, England; keyboard
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Formed in 1972 by ex-Colosseum members Dave Greenslade (18 January 1943, Woking, Surrey, England; keyboards) and Tony Reeves (b. 18 April 1943, London, England). The line-up was completed by ex-Episode Six and Alan Bown Set member Dave Lawson (keyboards/vocals) and Andrew McCulloch (drums). Their four well-received albums all proved to be moderately successful - the strong
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Formed in Wumme, Germany in 1971, Slapp Happy was the confluence of three avant garde musicians; British-born Anthony Moore (piano/vocals), Peter Blegvad (1951, New York City, New York, USA; guitar/clarinet/vocals) and German vocalist/pianist Dagmar Krause (b. 4 June 1950, Hamburg, Germany). The trio enjoyed the patronage of art-rock outfit Faust, and recorded Sort Of at the
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This band was formed in August 1975 by Phil Miller (guitar) and Dave Stewart (organ), former members of Hatfield And The North. Amanda Parsons (vocals), Alan Gowen (19 August 1947, London, England, d. 17 May 1981, London, England; synthesizer), Mont Campbell (ex-Egg; bass) and Bill Bruford (ex-Yes and King Crimson; drums) completed the bands original line-up, but the f
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Glasgow, Scotland, progressive rock band Beggars Opera was formed in the late 60s by Marshall Erskine (bass/flute), Ricky Gardener (guitar/vocals), Martin Griffiths (vocals/percussion), Alan Park (keyboards) and Raymond Wilson (drums). The groups grandiose ambition was to fuse classical and progressive rock elements, an accommodation they achieved but only to moderate cri
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In 1968, former Yardbirds Jim McCarty (25 July 1943, Liverpool, England; drums) and Keith Relf (b. 22 March 1943, Richmond, Surrey, England, d. 14 May 1976; vocals/acoustic guitar) reunited as Together for two self-composed singles that in their pastoral lyricism and acoustic emphasis anticipated the more lucrative Renaissance in which they were joined by ex-Nashville Teens
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Roy Adrian Wood, 8 November 1946, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England. As a teenager, Wood was a itinerant guitarist, moving steadily through a succession of minor Birmingham groups including the Falcons, the Lawmen, Gerry Levene And The Avengers and Mike Sheridan And The Nightriders. After a failed stab at art school, he pooled his talents with some of the best musicians on t
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5 November 1948, Ealing, London, England. In 1967, singer-songwriter and guitarist Hammill formed Van Der Graaf Generator in Manchester, England, with university friends Nick Peame (keyboards) and Chris Judge Smith (drums). The band collapsed without making any recordings, but in 1968 it was re-formed with Hammill joined by Keith Ellis (bass), Guy Evans (drums) and Hugh Bant
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